Part One: Religious History – Purim Katan [current]
Part Two: Food History – Butter
Why are there Two Purims? The Story of Little Purim Katan
[Editor’s Note: Beginning this month, I have decided to split my articles into two separate posts. The article will be divided between the religious history content and the food history content (including the recipes). I believe that this will make finding and using the information easier for you, the readers. After almost 6 years of writing this blog, and talking to readers, I believe this is the best move.]
A. Introduction
For those of you looking at the Hebrew calendar this year (probably not many of you), you may have noticed that there is an extra month added that was not there last year – Adar II. Just as the Gregorian calendar has an extra day every four years (called a leap-year), the Hebrew Calendar, which follows the lunar cycle (Hebrew calendar), includes a “leap month.” In the Hebrew calendar are seven leap months during every 19-year cycle. Besides celebrating two months of Adar, Jews (can) also celebrate two Purims. Yes, the holiday of Purim where Esther saved the Jews is celebrated twice, with the holiday of Purim Katan (“minor Purim” although sometimes referred to as a “second Purim”). Confused? Don’t be, I will discuss this holiday in more detail below. Since most celebrations usually include sweets, like pies and cakes, this month’s highlighted food will be one of the main ingredients – butter (and I will also delve into the history or margarine while I am at it).
[Fast Facts:
(1) The Gregorian Calendar is based on the Julian calendar (named after Julius Caesar). The difference? The Julian calendar is 365.25 days, while the Gregorian calendar is 365.2425 days in length.
(2) Calendar is spelled with two “a’s” and an “e” and not the other way around (not calender, which I commonly misspell), also a colander is a cooking instrument used to strain water that and not provide the dates of the year.
(3) Dates can refer to either a declaration of time or a fruit; the “honey” in the adage “land of milk and honey” is not produced by a bee, it is the juice of the dates.]
B. Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jewish people begin saved from certain death by a woman named Esther. During the holiday the Book of Esther is recited. It tells of the story of the holiday. The basic facts of the story is as follows: Esther becomes married to the King but she does not tell hi that she is Jewish. An evil man named Haman wants to kill all of the Jews. Esther, through intelligence and her wits turns the tables and the Jews are saved. This is only a short summary, there is a lot more to the story (it would be akin to saying that Sound of the Music was about a nun that fled the Nazis with a family in Austria). For a more detailed version of the story, and practically all you ever wanted to know about the holiday (traditions, evidence, customs, rituals, etc.), see Purim and the Book of Esther.
C. Purim Katan
As mentioned above, there are leap years in the Hebrew calendar that add an additional month; there are two months of Adar: Adar I and Adar II. The “regular”/annual holiday of Purim is celebrated during the month of Adar II. In order to recognize the importance of Adar I, the sages (in Megillah 6b) decided that there needs to be a celebration on the 14th of Adar I, to be known as Purim Katan (which translates to “minor Purim.” If you were wondering, about the celebration in walled cities, the 15th of Adar I is Shushan Purim Katan. [Walled cities in Israel celebrate this holiday a day later since the news of the incident took longer to reach them.]
Fasting and burials are not permitted on Purim Katan, however, there are a few differences in the celebration of this day, which include:
- The Book of Esther / Megilla is not recited
- “Al Hanissim” prayer is not recited
- Manot la’evyonim (gifts to the poor) are not customarily given [although it is nice to give on any given day]
- Prayers of confession and forgiveness are not recited
Purim Katan is to be noted as a joyous day and should be marked as a “small” festive meal. [Fast Fact: Because nothing about Purim is straight-forward, in the Code of Jewish Law, known as the Shulkan Aruch, it notes that there is “no difference” between the two days. Rabbi Mosses Isserles (the Rema) justifies the less festive customs of celebrating with the fact that there should be no difference in the emotional/internal remembrance of the holiday and need not perform the outward displays as the traditional Purim.
Be forewarned, there are also “Special Purims” which are also sometimes called Purim Katans or small//minor Purims. They should not be confused with this celebration.
As a festive holiday, it means that there will be a lot of food served, and of course, a lot of desserts. One ingredient that make many of our favorite desserts taste amazing is butter, which is the discussed next.
The second Part of this article can be found by going here: A Butter Story – It’s History, Origin, and Background
Sources
“Purim and the Book of Esther: Origin, History and Evolution of the Holiday” [Parts I thru IV] (Chef Lon: Food History Religion: 2021) @ https://foodhistoryreligion.wordpress.com/2021/02/01/part-ii-purim-and-the-book-of-esther-origin-history-and-evolution-of-the-holiday/
“What A Difference a Year Makes” (Chef Lon: FoodHistoryReligion: 2017) @ https://foodhistoryreligion.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/from-ethiopia-to-israel-a-journey/
“Why Are there Two Months of Adar and What is Purim Katan?” (Jamie Geller: 2014) @ https://jamiegeller.com/holidays/why-are-there-two-months-of-adar-and-what-is-purim-katan/
“Why is there a Purim Katan (Small Purim)” (Yehuda Shurpin: Chabad.org) @ https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4287665/jewish/Why-Is-There-a-Purim-Katan-Small-Purim.htm
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